Getting started with farm woodlands

Integrating trees into your farm or croft could help your business to grow and become more resilient. That comes from positive impacts they can have on your farm business, such as:

• shelter and shade for livestock

• supporting biodiversity

• generating income from timber and carbon credits

• getting value from less productive land

• supporting your soil

• flood prevention and improved water quality

For more information on how trees can support your farm business, read our 'Why Trees?' guide.

Scottish Forestry’s Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) offers many funding options.

These can help you plant trees on your farm and ensure they are well protected and maintained. 

The FGS is open to applications all year, and land planted under FGS remains eligible for Basic Payment for the length of the contract. 

How we can help

Small Woodland Loan Scheme

The Small Woodland Loan Scheme can help cover initial costs before you receive your FGS payment. Land managers can also receive support to help identify opportunities to plant trees. 

The Small Woodland Loan Scheme can help cover initial costs before you receive your FGS payment.

What are the potential costs of farm woodlands?

Support from the Farm Advisory Service (FAS)

The Farm Advisory Service also offers up to £1,600 for a specialist adviser to provide support with:

• woodland creation
• management
• conservation support

Specialist advice (Farm Advisory Service website)

The Forestry Grant Scheme supports integrated approaches to land management, where trees and agriculture co-exist to provide multiple benefits. 

You can create agroforestry systems on grazing and arable land in several ways. 

These systems help produce:

• trees for timber
• biodiversity
• fruit and nuts

You can do this while still raising your livestock or growing crops.

The Woodland Expansion Advisory Group (WEAG) provides advice on the types of land that are best for tree planting in Scotland, whilst considering other land uses.

When planning your woodland creation, you may need to provide an assessment of the potential impacts from your activities, including any proposed mitigation. For example, if your woodland creation proposal is likely to:

• have a significant impact on agricultural land
• affect the local land use balance with agriculture